Nesting of Birds in Fohkien. 39 



trees, always at a considerable height from the ground. It 

 is a deep cup slung in the fork of a branch, and varies in 

 shape and construction. In some cases the walls are very 

 thick and the bottom thin, in others the reverse obtains ; 

 some specimens, again, are very substantial throughout. The 

 materials used are bamboo-leaves, coarse and fine dry grass, 

 straw, and seeding grass-spikes, bound together by roots, 

 tendrils, and cobwebs. The latter and cocoon-silk are used 

 to bind the nest to its supports. The lining consists of 

 fine dry grass, pine-needles, roots, and seeding grass-spikes. 

 Native paper forms a favourite finish to the nests : some are 

 thickly coated with it, and one in Rickett's garden was not 

 only covered with it, but had a strip over a foot long hanging 

 from the bottom of the fabric, which was thereby rendered 

 very conspicuous. The eggs are laid in May. In colour 

 they are a beautiful blush-pink, spotted with very dark 

 crimson over lavender-grey underlying spots. The surface- 

 spots are often somewhat blurred in outline, as if the colour 

 had " run." 



The eggs of the Indian bird, as described by Stuart 

 Baker ( f Ibis/ 1896, p. 332), seem to differ from those of 

 the Chinese bird. In the latter the full clutch consists of 

 four eggs, which are ovate, with a tendency to become oval. 



Twelve specimens average 1*12 x "82 in. 



Although a shy bird, this Oriole frequents gardens and 

 often builds close to houses, its clear loud notes and bright 

 plumage readily attracting attention. 



Sturnia sinensis (Gm.). 



Also a summer-visitor, and breeding in the native city. 

 We have never, however, obtained its eggs. Some collected 

 by La Touche at Swatow (where, as well as in Hongkong, it 

 nests in foreign-built houses) were very pale blue in 

 colour. 



Graculipica nigricollis (Payk.). 

 An extremely common resident on the plains. 

 The nest is a large domed structure of irregular shape, 

 composed of dry grass, straw, leaves, twigs, and in fact 



